


Not Your Daddy (But Close Enough)

by Hammocker



Series: A Crane in the Home [2]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Age Difference, Betaed, Coming In Pants, Coming Untouched, Cynicism, Daddy Issues, Daddy Kink, Developing Relationship, Jonathan is 18, M/M, Spanking, Sweet, but only just barely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2016-05-18
Packaged: 2018-06-09 07:41:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6895912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hammocker/pseuds/Hammocker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward could get used to this. Being wanted, needed, and appreciated on a deeper level than what he was used to. Even if he was truly undeserving of someone like Jonathan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Your Daddy (But Close Enough)

**Author's Note:**

> I killed a slow burn series for convenience and daddy kink. I hope someone's happy.

Edward backed into his apartment, gently shutting the door behind him. He’d gone way over time dissecting a woman’s corpse trying to figure out exactly what had poisoned her. A bizarre mix of cyanide, bleach, various acids, and ethanol, it had turned out. Nasty stuff. By the time he’d gotten out, it was past nine got and now it was going towards ten. He really hoped Jonathan had fallen asleep already instead of waiting up for him. Jonathan sitting awake, lonely and tired, was an awful thought.

The apartment was almost entirely dark outside of one table lamp and light filtering in from the outside. He didn’t call into room, just in case Jonathan was sleeping, hung up his coat on its rack, and took off his shoes. Before he could continue on inside, though, a small voice spoke from across the room.

“Edward?”

“Hi- hi, Jonathan,” Edward stammered, turning to find Jonathan sitting up on the sofa. “I didn’t think you’d still be awake. I’m really, really sorry, I had a lot to do and I got pulled aside more than I’d usually expect and-”

Jonathan didn’t respond, but as Edward talked, Jonathan got up and hurried across the room to hug Edward. He cut off at that, stunned at such a forward gesture from Jonathan. 

“I was afraid something had happened,” he murmured, pressing his face into Edward’s chest.

“You don’t need to worry, Jon,” Edward assured him, a little hesitant to return the embrace. “I only work in forensics. I’m surrounded by police officers all day, I’m in absolutely no danger.”

Jonathan pulled his head back to glare up at Edward.

“I don’t like being lied to.”

“Oh, but all of that is- it’s very much the truth,” Edward half-laughed, cocking an eyebrow at him. He couldn’t possibly...

“You killed an officer.”

Edward felt all the blood drain from his face in one foul swoop.

“You- how do you-?”

“You have an officer’s badge in your filing cabinet,” Jonathan said, holding him in an intent stare. “You either killed him or you impersonated him. And from the sound of it, it was the former.”

Edward knew he should have gotten rid of the damn thing. Why did he always have to leave things laying around? His jaw hung open as he tried to think of what to say, but Jonathan spoke again before anything came out.

“I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you too,” Jonathan gritted through his teeth, tightening his grip on Edward. “No one’s ever cared about me like you do. Not my mom, not my dad, no one.”

Edward swallowed thickly hearing Jonathan’s words. He hadn’t truly known how much he meant to Jonathan. Or maybe he had and he’d been trying not to think about it. It almost hurt, hearing him say that. Jonathan deserved so much more.

“I won’t get caught. I cleaned up after myself, I- I cremated the body, I didn’t leave any evidence,” Edward told him, voice shaking. He took in a deep breath before continuing. “No matter what, nothing is going to keep me from you. Nothing.”

“I believe that,” Jonathan said, finally releasing his grip on Edward and backing off. “I didn’t really-” He let out a breathy laugh. “I knew on a higher level that you were okay, but I let my irrational fears set in. Bad habit. I’m very happy to see you.”

“It’s not a bad habit to be afraid. Irrationally or otherwise,” Edward offered. “It’s pretty healthy, if you ask me.” 

A wrinkled nose and a disgruntled “hm” was the only response Jonathan gave to his encouragement before he moved on.

“For the record, I don’t care that you killed him, Edward. If you of all people killed him, he was a bastard, I’m sure.”

“Yeah. He was,” Edward agreed, pursing his lips. “Doesn’t make it right.”

“Sometimes things that aren’t right have to be done to further the world.”

While Jonathan said and did a lot of bizarre things for being so young, Edward was taken aback by his statement.

“Where did you get that idea?” he asked.

“It’s just obvious to me,” Jonathan said, shrugging. “My dad did a lot of bad things to further his studies. I wouldn’t really mind if he hadn’t done them out of guilt. Emotional ties like his taint the work in the end. He would have used a tainted formula on me had I not fled when I did. I should have gone sooner, but my decisions were tainted by emotion.” His scowl deepened upon his last statement. “I want to further the scientific world because I know I can, not because I feel bad.”

Edward bit his lip as he listened. What Jonathan said made some amount of sense, but, for all its worth, it seemed a rather cynical viewpoint, especially for someone as young as he was.

“It sounds like you’d rather not have emotions.”

“Sometimes that’s the case. It would make things a lot easier.”

“Probably not happier.”

Jonathan stayed quiet for a moment

“Are you happy, Edward?”

“I- well, I try to be,” Edward stuttered, seeking a good, truthful answer fast. “I like what I do, I like the people I’m around.”

“But they don’t like you.”

Where had Jonathan learned to be so perceptive? Or was Edward just not as subtle as he thought he was?

“Not all of them,” Edward conceded, glancing downward.

“Does it make you happier to know that I appreciate you?”

“It does.” It was painful how happy it made him, being needed and wanted and appreciated. “It does very much.”

“I desire you,” Jonathan said, a little too quickly for Edward to be confident in what he’d heard.

“What?”

“I. Desire. You,” Jonathan repeated. “I have since you took me home.”

“You can’t-” Edward’s words were sticking in his throat all of a sudden and his face had gone hot. “You can’t mean…”

“I can and I do,” Jonathan said, voice strong and confident then. “Touch me. You never do. What will it take to get you to touch me?” He reached forward and took Edward’s limp hand, running his thumb down the palm of it. “It doesn’t need to be sex, just hold me, put your skin on mine. You want to, I know you do, so love me.”

Jonathan’s face briefly drew up as though he might start sobbing at any moment. Before any tears could fall, though, Jonathan came forward again to wrap his arms around Edward and push his face against him.

“Please, daddy, love me,” he whimpered against Edward’s chest.

It was a rare thing for Jonathan to give any clear hint about his emotional state, let alone to get so close to breaking down. Edward’s heart about broke seeing him so sad. And over something Edward had done or, more aptly, had neglected to have done. How could he have been so short-sighted? And to someone who saw him as a… He couldn’t complete that sentence, not even in his own head. Unless he wanted to drive himself mad.

“I do,” Edward choked out. “I do love you, Jonathan. You’re so smart and lovely and- God you’re perfect and I don’t deserve you.”

“Yes, you do, shut up,” Jonathan hissed.

“Is that any way to speak to me, young man?” God, that felt good. It wasn’t every day that he got to tell someone off for telling him to shut up.

Right away, Jonathan shrank back, his shoulders relaxed, and he cast his gaze downward.

“No, daddy. I’m sorry.”

“You- you really want to call me that?” Edward breathed, his mind grinding to a halt as “You want me to-”

Jonathan reached in once more and gripped Edward’s bicep hard, looking up at him with an intense stare.

“Yes. Quit your pussy-footing and assert yourself, goddammit.”

Edward’s brow furrowed and he drew his shoulders up at that. He didn’t have to take that from Jonathan.

“I taught you better manners than that. And better language,” Edward said. “And while we’re at it, it’s not very polite to go through my things while I’m not here either, now is it?”

It was distressingly easy to slip into his role. Like it was a second skin he’d been neglecting. A little tight and different, but easy to adjust to. Was that wrong?

“No,” Jonathan answered, barely a whisper. He took his hand off of Edward and shrank back once more.

“No, what?” If Edward was going to do this, he was going to do it right.

“No, daddy.”

“You know better, Jonathan. Maybe I’ve just been too lenient lately.”

“”Maybe” he says,” Jonathan echoed, rolling his eyes. Edward had wanted to do something about his little eye rolling habit for a while now, come to think of it.

“Is that backtalk I’m hearing?”

“Maybe,” he repeated once more, giving Edward a sideways glance. “Are you going to do something about it? Or are you going to continue to neglect me?”

A twinge set about in Edward’s throat. He had most certainly not neglected Jonathan and he would prove it.

“Seeing as you’re so confident that I’ve been lacking as of late, what do you suggest we do to solve your little attitude problem?”

Jonathan crossed his arms and pouted a bit as he considered the question. Edward had the sneaking suspicion he was only stalling to cause him further irritation.

“Classics never die,” Jonathan stated after a moment. “Put me over your knee. Spank me.”

If nothing else had made blood rush to Edward’s face yet, Jonathan’s request did just then. Edward didn’t like hitting anyone, let alone someone he was looking after, someone he cared very deeply about. If that’s what Jonathan wanted, though, then that was what was going to happen.

“Come on then,” Edward said, turning to direct them both towards his bed.

“Well, I’m not going to come,” Jonathan scoffed. “I said put me over.”

“Come on, Jonathan,” he tried once more, a little sharper this time. He didn’t want to make Jonathan do anything, but he was so pushy. It was paradoxical.

Jonathan’s face contorted into the brattiest, snootiest sneer Edward had ever seen.

“Make me,” he challenged, a subtle smile tugging at his mouth.

Edward had had quite enough.

He stepped forward and grabbed Jonathan by his hair. It was a good handful and reminded him that Jonathan needed a haircut sometime soon. Jonathan let out a cry and squirmed against his grip, but never seriously fought him. He only let Jonathan languish there for a moment before taking his lower arm as well and dragging him towards the bad. Despite his whining, he came easily. Edward had to keep reminding himself that Jonathan had brought this on himself.

Edward maneuvered backwards until his calves bumped against the side of his bed. He sat and brought Jonathan down with him. He released Jonathan’s arm to bring it under his waist and haul him up so he could lay perpendicular across his lap. It took a moment to get him into a suitable position for what he wanted to do, but once he was, Edward felt a telltale bulge against his thigh.

With Jonathan over his lap, Edward couldn’t help but notice just how thin he was, under his layers and that baggy clothing he was so fond of. How breakable he felt. Edward was lean himself, but not like Jonathan, who seemed naturally bony and lacking in muscle mass. It was reasonable to assume that he was simply young and would fill out sooner or later, but it concerned Edward no less. Yet Jonathan himself seemed more than a little pleased at Edward’s capability in manhandling him thanks to their slight size disparity. He was whining softly while at the same time rubbing up against his thigh. 

Edward took the liberty of working down Jonathan’s sweatpants. They came without any resistance, leaving only Jonathan’s boxers between Edward and his bare flesh. It was then that he realized exactly what was about to happen: he was going to have to hit Jonathan. Hit him as a parent might for the sake of discipline. It was merely a facade of discipline; Jonathan’s response made that clear enough. But did he really want to set a precedent like this?

After a moment of hesitation, Jonathan lifted his head up to catch Edward’s gaze as best as he could.

“Do it,” he whimpered, eyes wide and pathetic. “Please, daddy?”

There was the nail in the coffin. Edward couldn’t say no to Jonathan. Even when he was putting in effort to tell him no. It made Edward want to hit him.

_Crack_.

The first blow came down hard, harder than he’d anticipated he would hit. Jonathan’s eyes rolled up in head for a split second as his head lolled forward once more. He fidgeted in Edward’s lap, but he didn’t cry out. All he did was whimper. Edward wasn’t sure how to interpret that. Was he in pain? Had he started too hard? Should he stop?

“Again,” Jonathan croaked after a moment’s hesitation. “Again, you goddamn-”

_Crack_.

He cut off with a groan that time. Edward could feel his erection twitching against his lap properly. It was weird, but at least he knew that Jonathan definitely wanted this.

“You don’t want to talk to me like that, kid,” he said, voice in his throat. He put his free hand on the back of Jonathan’s neck; just a gentle warning.

Jonathan grumbled something in response, but kept his eyes forward and his head down. Edward took a moment to regard Jonathan’s form once more. He bit his bottom lip, holding back a smirk. No more dancing around. It was about time they both had some fun.

He delivered the next ten blows in rapid succession, each progressively growing harder and harder. Jonathan let out a few yelps before they became a single long moan, squirming and rubbing his groin against Edward as best as he could. Edward could feel his head tilt up just slightly, not for the sake of rebellion, but out of simple reflex. Jonathan was as tense as he was aroused. It was as strange as it was mundane. Edward had never thought of using pain as a means to bring out pleasure in anyone, but now that he was doing just that, it seemed right.

Edward paused the onslaught a moment to gather himself and make sure he was still breathing. Jonathan’s moaning had turned into a painful whine. Yet he still wasn’t deterred.

“Just a little more, come on, please,” Jonathan wheezed out. “So good, daddy, so good…”

That stupid word set something off in Edward’s brain, something he wasn’t sure he liked having there. Not only that, but Jonathan wasn’t going to let up on it. He was too damn smart for his own good and hell if Edward didn’t love that about him.

He started up again, the slaps much slower this time. Jonathan hardly seemed to care, as the sounds he made came out more and more strangled. His hand came down, once, twice, and a third time before Jonathan gave a characteristic spasm of his hips. Following that, Edward felt a distinct wet, warm patch develop between them. Jonathan was no longer crying out, but instead breathing heavily and shivering as he composed himself. Edward looked down at him, mouth hanging open a bit. Was that really all it took to get him to climax? Had Edward really just made him-?

Edward shook his head. Jonathan was going to be sore. He needed to take care of that, not sit there contemplating his own reservations.

“Are you- Was that- was that good?” Edward asked as he shifted Jonathan off of his lap.

“Absolutely,” Jonathan replied without hesitation, arranging himself more comfortable on his front. “You worry too much.”

That was true, he’d give Jonathan that. Still, it was sometimes a justified habit.

“Do you mind if I have a look?” he asked, putting a hand over Jonathan’s boxers. “I’d hate to leave permanent damage.”

“Mm, go straight ahead, please,” Jonathan said, giving him a subtle smile.

Edward ignored any implications of his words and tone and look, instead carefully pulling the fabric down so that he had access to only the flesh he’d been beating on. And the beating showed. The skin was warm to the touch, light red, and beginning to form bruises. Edward swallowed thickly just seeing it. Something about seeing marks he’d left on Jonathan was tantalizing. Albeit, with his pants down, it was more than obvious that Jonathan needed to eat more.

“Stay there,” Edward said before getting to his feet.

He rifled through a few cabinets before finally coming up with a small bottle of lotion. Once he had it in his hand, Edward came back over and sat down next to Jonathan. He squeezed some out onto his hands and started rubbing it over Jonathan’s hurt flesh. It wasn’t going to prevent any soreness, but at least it would help. He took the liberty of palming and massaging the skin as best as he could. How easy it was to feel Jonathan’s pelvic bone was concerning, but Edward couldn’t help the certain less than pure thoughts that drifted through his mind, looking at Jonathan exposed and vulnerable. Jonathan’s boxers still covered most of him, but Edward would be lying if he said he didn’t want to pull them down a little farther, to get a good look at what he’d been neglecting. His own ignored arousal twitched at the thought and Edward’s hand slid down towards the loose waistband once again.

Edward stopped himself, shaking his head. Not today. Maybe someday, but not today. He returned to gentle palming.

Jonathan gave an occasional hum of appreciation at the contact. He said nothing, but his eyes slid back to give Edward a look of adoration. He wasn’t sure whether he was supposed to see it or not, but Edward couldn’t help but tense a bit under his gaze. No one had ever looked at him like that, certainly not after depraved sexual activities. It wasn’t something he knew how to react to. He supposed that it was something he needed to get used to.

Edward pulled Jonathan’s boxers back up once he’d finished applying the lotion. He placed the container down at the foot of the bed, figuring that he would put it away later. From there, he was left with a predicament: where to go from there. Jonathan seemed content enough the situation, but questions and uncertainty had flooded Edward’s mind. An already complicated relationship had only become more complicated and Edward couldn’t figure it out without help. So he figured it was best to ask right then and there.

“Is this- Do you want this to be a regular sort of thing?”

“Of course,” Jonathan said easily. “Like I said before, I desire you very much.”

“Right. You did say that,” Edward reminded himself. He was still getting used to that. “How do you desire me exactly?”

“You‘re awkward, but you’re not dumb, Edward,” Jonathan said, rolling his eyes with only his tone. “I think you know.”

“I guess I might. It’s just I’ve got a lot of the responsibility here and I really need your input to feel- stable moving forward.”

“I’d like to have sex properly in the near future, if that’s what you’re asking,” Jonathan told him, not an ounce of shame or concern in his voice. “And I would say that you forfeited a good chunk of responsibility in agreeing to house a ward without consulting the state.”

“Well that’s another thing, you’re only- What? Sixteen, seventeen?”

Jonathan’s expression turned sour in an instant and he turned his head to meet Edward’s eye.

“I’m eighteen now, in fact. Have been for a month,” he declared, giving an indignant sniff. “You don’t need to worry about statutory, at the very least.”

“You had a birthday? Why didn’t you tell me?” Edward asked, giving him a cautious smile. “We should have celebrated.”

Jonathan frowned then, turning away once more.

“No,” he said, just barely audible. “Birthdays were never the same after mom died. My dad and I weren’t the same. He never forgave himself and I was just a painful reminder. Nothing to be celebrated. No time for that kind of thing anyway.”

Edward clenched his teeth. The more he heard, the more Jonathan’s father sounded very much like his own. And Jonathan was such a nice kid too, when he wanted to be anyway. If his father was that uncaring, though, Edward couldn’t have blamed him for not wanting to be so nice.

“You deserved better.”

“I did indeed,” Jonathan agreed. He turned himself onto his back with a slight wince and gazed up at Edward. “But I have you now, don’t I?”

“Well, I suppose I’m not-”

“Don’t,” Jonathan cut him off. “You’ve given me more in three months than my dad did in ten years. More concern, more affection, more- love.” He nearly choked on the last word. “It hurts. Just saying that. But that’s the reality of the situation.”

It hurt hearing Jonathan say that. Edward hated to think of Jonathan being alone and unhappy in his father’s care, even if that was over now. Hated to think that most of his life had been spent miserable.

Edward edged back onto the bed so he could lay down properly next to Jonathan. He got an arm around his middle and pulled him up to the head of the bed to cuddle him properly. All the while, he desperately hoped he wasn’t overstepping any boundaries.

“I’m just happy to have you, Jon.”

As soon as Edward settled, Jonathan squirmed onto his side and wrapped his arms around him, a little too tight. Edward’s breath hitched, but he didn’t complain. From there, he nuzzled his face up against Edward’s chest and let out a sigh.

“Happy,” he echoed. “Hm. That’s different.”

“Good different?” Edward mumbled.

“I suppose so,” Jonathan said, though, he smiled all the while. “Need to run more tests, more…”

His eyes shut half-way through the sentence and never finished his thought. After a moment, his breathing slowed, though, his grip remained.

Edward smiled down at him and ran a light hand over his scalp and neck. Poor dear must have been exhausted, with how late it was and how intense their exchange had been. Come to think of it, he himself was tired. Besides, it wasn’t like he could go anywhere anyway.

He pulled his glasses off of his face and placed them on the bedside table. After a bit of straining, he managed to flick the lamp off as well. With everything taken care of, Edward rested one hand over Jonathan’s back and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still not over Jonathan being younger than Edward. It's also really weird giving him daddy issues. Usually he just has general family issues and a god complex. At least I can still make him a snobby, too-good-for-you little ass and no one can tell me I'm wrong yet. Jonathan Crane without ego is like peanut butter without jelly. It's just depressing.
> 
> I'm kinda curious: can you mix cyanide, bleach, some kinda acid, and ethanol without, like, causing an apocalypse? I'm not a chemist yet so excuse the creative license there. 
> 
> By all means, point out any and all mistakes in the comments. I'm extremely liberal in post-publishing editing with all my works.


End file.
